


Habits

by SereneVenus



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Post-Shattered, Romance, The crew brings them together (sort of), Unintentionally Deferred Gratification
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:55:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28491252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SereneVenus/pseuds/SereneVenus
Summary: Kathryn and Chakotay discover the shipwide betting pool on their relationship.
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 24
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

The entire _Voyager_ crew believed without a doubt that Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay were in a clandestine romantic relationship.

For starters, they spent most of their free time together. In addition to their frequent dinners in the Mess Hall, they had “dinner” in his or her quarters at least once a week, often late into the evening, and sometimes into the wee hours of the morning if they didn’t have Alpha duty shifts the next day. They regularly put their holodeck time together – no one knew what they were doing in there and no one dared ask. And their shore leaves usually overlapped, at least partially.

Then there was all their suggestive behavior, on and off duty. All the teasing, flirting, smiling, whispering, and laughing. All the inside jokes over the command console and the knowing looks across the bridge. The Captain’s hands, more often than not, roamed all over the Commander’s body: his chest, his shoulders, his arms, once in a while cupping his chin or one of his cheeks. He was constantly bringing her coffee, and snacks, and flowers. And when he escorted her to events, or just to the turbolift, it was always with one gentle hand on her back.

It was universally agreed, however that these behaviors did not publicly confirm a romantic relationship, but only a friendship with flirtatious benefits. Those who’d known Chakotay the longest, B’Elanna and Ayala, acknowledged that he was always gracious with women. When some argued that Chakotay’s graciousness to their captain was most exceptional, others argued back that the most important part of his job was to care for the captain’s well-being, and it was up to the two of them to define the parameters of that care. In all cases, however, everyone agreed that the Captain and the Commander were clearly in love. True, no one had any proof they were acting on it in private. But how could they not be?

The crew initially believed that the Captain and Commander were keeping their relationship secret in order to avoid deleterious consequences should Starfleet suspect the former Maquis captain of unduly influencing Captain Janeway. Though by the seventh year of their journey, most believed that would be an unlikely outcome, and supposed their commanding officers were remaining discreet out of habit. But on a ship of 150 people, traveling together for decades with no Starfleet protocol expressly prohibiting their liaison, most believed the two would eventually tire of the pretense or simply slip up.

Their all but certain romance was the subject of _Voyager_ ’s longest running bet, and was known by its acronym, PCR, for “Public Confirmation of the Relationship.” So assured were the Voyagers that their command team was shagging that the betting structure didn’t even include a category for non-believers. Each bet had two only components: a choice between intentional PCR (IPCR) or unintentional PCR (UPCR), and a date.

Beyond accidentally walking into a UPCR situation, discreet eavesdropping on the Captain and Commander’s conversations on the Bridge, in the Mess Hall, or any other public space was allowed, but scanning inside their quarters, the holodeck, or their (always separate) shore leave lodgings was not. Tom Paris, the self-appointed betting pool manager, had decreed that covert scans were not only _obviously_ outside the bounds of public confirmation but also “frankly creepy.”

The crew divided more or less evenly between the “I” and “U” “teams,” as they came to be called. Neelix, Kes, Ayala, Harry, and Tuvok belonged to the “I” team, believing the couple would eventually announce their relationship status, whereas die-hard romantics like Tom, B’Elanna, Sam, Naomi, and, surprisingly, Seven were on the “U” team. To everyone’s infuriation, The Doctor did not participate, citing doctor-patient confidentiality.

There was no limit to the number of times one could participate in the betting pool. Some crew members placed bets on every Valentine’s Day and Prixin. Others came back in each time Chakotay crashed a shuttle. The first major rush came six weeks after the Captain’s crack on the bridge about “mating behavior.” The largest and most numerous bets were placed within weeks of their return from New Earth and the month after she’d almost died in his arms. Fewer but no less substantial bets came in after the tenuous alliance with the Borg, and after the demise of the Equinox – those command disagreements looked too much like lovers’ quarrels to too many. Most recently, after the Commander burned out the deflector dish, no one among the Bridge crew failed to notice the twinkle in his eye as he casually escorted the Captain back to her quarters for dinner afterward, and the bets were surging again.

Over the years, dozens of crewmembers had lost hundreds of rations to this bet. Yet no one lost the faith. PCR had become Voyager’s de facto lottery and good luck charm. Most of the crew couldn’t _not_ place PCR bets. Over time, they came to feel that Voyager’s survival and their return to the Alpha Quadrant depended on it.


	2. Chapter 2

At the beginning of every month, when the ship wasn’t in crisis mode, _Voyager_ ’s computer automatically replenished every crew member’s replicator rations account. As one of his many First Officer responsibilities, Chakotay always confirmed that the replenishment had taken place, and as he went about it he’d also give the list of ration balances a cursory glance. Patterns of hoarding or overspending often indicated stress, depression, or interpersonal issues, and he would make a note to keep an eye on those crew members whose ration use seemed excessively high or low.

For the umpteenth time, Chakotay wondered about Tom Paris’s enormous, ever-growing stash of replicator rations. He knew it was not a result of a hoarding problem, but rather Tom’s role as manager of the betting pool. The Commander had a _laissez faire_ attitude toward the pool, knowing that it boosted crew morale. He was certain Tom’s gargantuan balance couldn’t be the result of a scam. Chakotay would be the first to attest to Tom’s questionable past behavior, but over the years he’d become an upstanding crew member, and now was recently married and about to become a father. He’d proved he was responsible and trustworthy. So he had to be running a long-standing bet of which the Commander was unaware.

During his next free evening, he analyzed the dates of the large upticks in Tom’s stash not related to any publicly listed bet, and realized they all followed major events in his and Kathryn’s “relationship.” The most recent large collection had taken place a few weeks back, about a month after the ship had been shattered into different timeframes and he’d had to burn out the deflector dish to send everyone back to their rightful timelines. His suspicions were further confirmed by small swells on certain holidays and, embarrassingly, every time he’d crashed a shuttle.

Spirits, the crew were betting that he and Kathryn would begin a romantic relationship! Or that they were already in one, and would reveal it publicly to the crew. He wondered how were they hiding this pool from him and Kathryn. They were probably using Borg encryption algorithms, Chakotay thought, and wondered who’d been in charge of its encryption before Seven came aboard.

If they only knew the truth, what would they think? Would the betting pool shrivel up and die?

After Kathryn’d made that joke about mating behavior, Chakotay was on edge for weeks, hoping Kathryn would make the next, or rather, first move, but she never did.

During the year after their return from New Earth, certain that she’d understood the full meaning of the resolution he’d shared with her, thinly veiled as an “ancient legend,” he kept hoping she’d come to him, once she became re-accustomed to her role as Captain and to her life on _Voyager_. They’d shared a unique experience, and there was no denying they were closer for it in many ways, but she firmly, steadfastly, maintained the distance between them.

After Kathryn had almost died under the spell of that malevolent alien consciousness, and then invited him to the holodeck for a moonlight sail on Lake George, he was certain she’d want to celebrate by taking their relationship to the next level, but all they did was sip champagne and talk quietly, sitting close, but never too close.

The aftermaths of the Borg alliance and the encounter with the Equinox had been awkward and difficult. It had taken them a long time, in both cases, to get their friendship back to an even keel.

And after he came back from the temporal shattering of the ship, she seemed hurt that he wouldn’t tell her what happened, even though she knew very well that he couldn’t.

Every time their relationship took two steps forward, it immediately took a step back. Or so he felt.

Overall, though, Chakotay wasn’t complaining. The years on _Voyager_ had been the best of his life. His life had a sense of purpose like never before, he felt more connected to the community on board than he’d ever felt anywhere else, and they were living an adventure beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

And then there was Kathryn. He’d been attracted to her, almost to distraction, since the first day they met, had fallen madly in love with her on New Earth, and since then his love for her had grown deeper with each day and each year. And he fervently believed she felt that way, too, whatever her reasons might be for keeping them apart. Even their fiercest arguments were so heartrending, he was sure, because of their underlying feelings for each other. Chakotay wanted Kathryn more than he wanted to get back to the Alpha Quadrant. He wanted her more than anything. Every day, he implored the Spirits to bring them closer together.

Having deduced the existence of the under-underground betting pool, Chakotay couldn’t help but believe that it was a sign from the Spirits that he and Kathryn would soon be able to explore a romantic relationship. It was time for a new plan.


	3. Chapter 3

“I have some interesting news.”

Kathryn gave Chakotay a surprised look. “And you’ve been waiting all evening to tell me?”

They were seated on the sofa in her quarters, sipping brandy. She’d managed to replicate a delicious dinner, and seemed relaxed and content. He’d never find a better moment to broach the subject.

“May I?” Chakotay gestured to the portable computer terminal on Kathryn’s desk. She nodded, so he brought it over to the coffee table and pulled up a heavily-encrypted data file. “The crew’s been running a second betting pool and hiding it from the two of us.”

“The whole crew?”

“Maybe not The Doctor, but the rest of them.”

“Why not The Doctor?”

“I’ve noticed he often abstains from bets that would require him to break doctor-patient confidentiality.”

“What kind of betting is going on this pool?”

“I think it’s just one bet, actually, about the nature of our relationship.” 

He let her scroll through the data, pointing out the correlations between events that might have suggested a romantic component to their relationship, and the subsequent large hauls Tom took in, which couldn’t be explained by any of the bets registered in the public shipwide record. 

Over the course of a several minutes, Chakotay watched with some amusement as the five stages of grief passed over Kathryn’s face. First she rolled her eyes in denial, certain that he had grossly misinterpreted the data. Then she furrowed her brow in the bargaining stage, trying to imagine another explanation. That gave way to blushing in anger at the crew’s salacious interest in her personal life, followed by her lips turning down in sadness that there wasn’t any relationship to be placing bets on in the first place. Finally, she sighed, accepting that she couldn’t always know about everything happening on the ship, even when it came to the crew’s perception of her. Chakotay empathized, of course. He’d had a similar set of reactions when he’d first put it all together.

Finally, she sat back and massaged her temples. “Gambling is a bad habit,” she observed.

Chakotay laughed. “Even you and I throw into the betting pool, from time to time, for ship morale.”

“Exactly, we don’t make a habit of it. If you’re right, some people have lost hundreds, if not thousands, of rations to this bet!”

Chakotay took her hands in his and looked into her deep blue eyes. “Kathryn, I’ve had a couple days to reflect on it, and the anthropologist in me doesn’t believe they think of this particular bet as gambling. It’s more like an offering. In hoping that we get together, or that we’re already together, the crew is expressing their faith in our ability to create a happy, stable, loving environment for ourselves and for them. They believe that if we’re happy together out here in the Delta Quadrant, it means they can all find happiness out here, too.”

Kathryn’s eyes widened in surprise at Chakotay’s interpretation. She didn’t disbelieve him, but didn’t seem to know how to respond, so he continued.

“You and I don’t make a habit of gambling, but we do have a bad habit of believing that we can’t have anything more than friendship between us. For the last seven years, we’ve grown closer and closer and have always been able to put the needs of the ship first. Perhaps it’s time for us to look this habit in the eye and actively decide whether it still serves us.” 

Kathryn looked out the viewport but didn’t take her hands away from his. “If you’re right, and the crew have been making these periodic offerings to the collective happiness of the ship, then maybe I’ve been making a similar sacrifice. Maybe I believe, maybe I need to believe, that if I sacrifice this one part of my happiness, I’ll stay sane enough, in control enough, to get us home.” She sighed deeply.

Chakotay was surprised to hear her admit that she was suffering, and suddenly felt emboldened. “Let’s run an experiment. Let’s try, for one month, to see if we can be anything more than we are now. And if we collect enough data to confirm that our new relationship is working for us and not interfering with the well-being of the ship and crew, we keep going, keep collecting more data. But if not, we can go back to our friendship, no hard feelings.”

Kathryn looked at him, eyes shining. “Do you really believe we could do that and not ruin our friendship?” 

Chakotay returned her gaze, his dark eyes smoldering. “Yes, absolutely. We’ve been friends this long, we’ve been through so much together. Our friendship has survived an alliance with the Borg and the treachery of the Equinox. It can survive us spending a month showing each other how we really feel. And we’ve already inadvertently convinced our 148 shipmates that we’re a couple, or, at least, that we should be.”

She sat silently for a long moment, then spoke softly. “Give me a few days to think about, ok? This is a lot to take in.”

“Of course.” Chakotay gave her a small, hopeful smile. “I should get going. Thank you for the wonderful dinner, and for keeping your mind and heart open. Good night.”

He kissed her softly on her cheek and whisked himself out her door. Upon returning to his quarters, he profusely thanked the Spirits for giving him them both the courage that night to speak the truth.


	4. Chapter 4

A few evenings later, Kathryn and Chakotay found themselves alone in the Mess Hall at one in the morning. They’d been reviewing ship-wide efficiency reports over dinner, and had barely noticed the crew members saying good night to them in pairs or small groups. Even Neelix had excused himself for the evening, dimming the lights except in the corner where the Captain and Commander were still working. Kathryn took the opportunity to inform Chakotay that she was game to begin the experiment he’d proposed. “To benefit science, of course.” He grinned in response, and escorted her back to her quarters. She invited him in for a nightcap, but he surprised her by declining, offering instead to take her on a date – their first date! – the following evening.

The next evening, about an hour after the end of their duty shift, Chakotay picked Kathryn up at her quarters and they found their way to the Airponics Bay. On any given day, a pair of crew members could be found there harvesting fruits and vegetables for Neelix, watering and weeding crops, and documenting growth patterns. Cycling through a whole crew rotation took several weeks, and most welcomed their occasional airponics duty shift as a refreshing change of pace.

Kathryn was surprised to find the Airponics Bay empty. Reading her puzzled look, Chakotay explained, “I relieved Tabor and Tal for the next couple hours.”

“Chakotay, our first date is an extra duty shift?”

He laughed. “Not exactly. I thought we’d enjoy gathering food together and making dinner from scratch.”

“Where?”

“In the Mess Hall. Neelix will have the dinner service out in hour or so. We’ll hang back in the galley and I’ll teach you how to make my favorite mushroom soup.”

Her puzzlement deepened. “I thought we agreed to keep our relationship to ourselves for now.”

“Kathryn, as long as we don’t engage in blatant public displays of affection, the crew won’t think we’re behaving any differently than we already do.”

She relaxed a bit. “You have a point. And it would be fun to cook from scratch. I haven’t tried since New Earth.”

Chakotay smiled. They rarely talked about New Earth, but they’d have to, if their relationship was going to progress. The fact that Kathryn had brought it up unprompted was a good sign.

He assigned her to collect garlic bulbs, onions, leeks, and carrots, while he trimmed the mushrooms. They fell into a rhythm, adding their vegetables to a large basket between them, chatting about their previous gardening adventures all the while. Every few moments, Kathryn felt a surge of anticipation. Would Chakotay return with her to her quarters this evening? Would tonight be their first night together? Chakotay seemed his usual calm, affable self, as if nothing about this evening were any different from any other evening. _Damn that man and his mysterious ways!_ She decided to continue to play it cool, too.

They were about to head to the Mess Hall when Chakotay stopped at the Talaxian tomato vines and put down the basket. “I almost forgot, I want to make a side salad of tomatoes and fresh herbs.”

Kathryn pulled out her gardening shears again and culled several of the ripest tomatoes. She placed them in the basket and turned to Chakotay, her eyes desolate. “I was so sad to leave that crop behind.”

Chakotay pulled her into his arms, inhaled the sweet scent of her hair, and kissed the top of her head. “I remember. I was, too.”

*

On their way out of the Mess Hall, Harry and Tuvok noticed Kathryn and Chakotay giggling and fussing over a pot in the galley.

“What’re they doing back there?”

Tuvok inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring. “I believe the Commander is teaching the Captain how to make his favorite mushroom soup.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “Tuvok, that’s got to be a PCR.”

“Not necessarily, Ensign.”

“What’re you talking about? If she’s willing to learn how to cook his favorite soup, that’s got to be a sign of a lifetime commitment.”

“It could alternatively represent a lifetime commitment to friendship, or a spontaneous desire to improve her wanting cooking skills,” the Vulcan dryly replied.

Harry groaned, even as he inwardly plotted to inform Tom and B’Elanna of this new development.

*

By the time they’d had their fill of soup, salad, and a fine, if replicated, pinot noir, Kathryn and Chakotay were once again the only two people left in the Mess Hall.

“Neelix replicated your mother’s caramel brownies for dessert,” Chakotay announced as he brought them to the table, along with two espressos.

Kathryn’s eyes lit up. “Thank you for tonight, Chakotay. I really enjoyed learning how to make your mushroom soup, and it wasn’t even as hard as I thought it would be. It’s all just a matter of physics and chemistry.”

“And patience. You have to wait for all the vegetables to reach their peak release of flavor.”

She recognized the cue to flirt back. It was more daring than usual, but they were taking their relationship to a new level, weren’t they? Spirits, what were they waiting for? Kathryn stood up, walked over to his side of the table, leaned over, and kissed him. His lips were soft and tasted of wine and chocolate, and his tongue was smooth as it caressed hers, sending shivers of anticipation down to her core. Chakotay quickly got over his surprise and pulled her into his lap. She ran her hands through his hair, drew him closer, and almost startled at his hands skimming her torso and his arousal growing between her legs.

After what seemed like hours, they came up for air. Chakotay smiled and caressed her cheek. “I should’ve taught you to make mushroom soup years ago.”

Kathryn threw her head back in laughter. Then she kissed him again.

Their combadges chirped in unison and they abruptly pulled back from each other. “Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay to the Bridge,” Tuvok’s neutral voice boomed through the comm.

“Tuvok, what’s going on?” Kathryn asked in her best command voice.

“A ship of unknown origin is hailing us. I believe we should initiate First Contact protocols.”

“Very well. The Commander and I will be right there. Janeway out.”

Kathryn sighed and pressed her forehead against Chakotay’s. “Duty calls.”

He lifted her off him and gave her hand a gentle squeeze as he stood up. “Eventually we’ll be free again.”

They smoothed out their uniforms and hair and made their way to the Bridge, as if it were just another day at the office.


	5. Chapter 5

Chakotay arranged that weekend’s duty schedule so he and Kathryn would have an afternoon and evening off together. He’d hoped, after their mushroom soup date and earth-shattering first kiss in the Mess Hall, that she’d have returned with him to his quarters for a nightcap and more. His hopes had been dashed by their middle-of-the-night First Contact, but fortunately, they’d run into a friendly species, happy to trade technology for Voyager’s maps of the further regions of the Delta Quadrant. It’d been a busy few days, and he was anxious to see her alone again. He smiled mischievously at the thought of their upcoming holodeck date.

Kathryn couldn’t wait, even though she wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It was rare that she and Chakotay spent time on the holodeck occupied with anything other than intense Velocity matches or command scenario exercises. He told her to wear something summery, so she chose his favorite, the light blue dress she’d often worn on New Earth.

Promptly at 1400, he met her in front of Holodeck One, dapper in a white t-shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals. The doors slid open to reveal a glittering sandy beach, sapphire blue water, and iconic mountains in the distance. As they shut, an elegant urban landscape rose up behind them.

Chakotay held her hand. “Welcome to Ipanema Beach.”

Kathryn’s eyes went wide with wonder. “Amazing! It’s not as crowded as I would’ve thought.”

“The hordes have been whittled down ninety percent.”

“It’s perfect!” Her smile was almost as wide as the beach.

Chakotay led her to a cluster of small cabins. “There’s a change of clothes for you in that one.” Inside she found a tiny gold bikini, a transparent cover-up featuring subtle gold flecks, and matching gold-framed sunglasses. _Making up for lost time, Chakotay?_ Kathryn laughed to herself. She pulled her hair up into a small, low ponytail and stepped out in her bare feet, thanking the Spirits she’d had time recently for a pedicure.

When she emerged, she was more than pleased to discover that Chakotay wore nothing more than tight, navy blue swimsuit briefs. She’d seen him almost naked several times before – too often in Sickbay, and once or twice on the way to the shower in their New Earth cabin – and he always took her breath away. She’d always thought that if he hadn’t been a Starfleet officer-turned Maquis rebel-turned Starfleet officer again, he could’ve been a highly successful underwear model.

They made their way to a pair of lounge chairs flanked by two small tables, each of which held towels and an elaborate cocktail.

Chakotay held out a small bottle of sunscreen lotion. “Would you like me to do your back?” 

Kathryn’s mouth turned up in a half-smile. “Chakotay, did you really program the holodeck to emit UVA and UVB rays?

He grinned. “Does it matter?”

“Not at all,” she grinned back.

Kathryn adjusted the lounge chair to lie flat and lay down on her stomach. Chakotay smoothed the sunscreen onto her back in languorous, massage-like strokes. She felt all the tension falling away from her body. He went on to massage the lotion into her triceps, forearms, and the backs of her hands. When he got to her fingers, he offered each one a small kiss, and received a contented smile from her in return. He continued down along her hamstrings, calf muscles, and the soles of her feet. She was in heaven, and it was becoming harder to suppress her instinct to moan.

“Turn over,” he said.

He continued up the arches of her feet, over her legs, and the fronts of her arms. As he spread sunscreen over her upper chest, Kathryn felt her nipples harden and wetness pool between her thighs. She suddenly realized that not only did she not mind if he noticed, she actually hoped that he might.

He slid his hands lightly along her neck, then touched small dots of sunscreen on her forehead, cheeks, chin, and nose, and gently blended them into her skin. She sat up and kissed him, sweetly at first, and then with abandon. He responded in kind.

After a moment they separated, and she said, “Thank you. Your turn.”

He lay down on his stomach. Kathryn straddled him, stroking broadly along his shoulder blades, lats, down his spine, and along the backs of his legs. She felt light-headed, and wondered if she wasn’t becoming intoxicated by the definition of his muscles.

When he turned over, he made no move to hide his arousal. She straddled him again, rubbing her clit against his erection as she massaged his abs and pecs.

After completing her task, she lay on top of him, planting soft kisses on his cheeks, eyelids, and nose. She found his lips again, and his luscious tongue. As his fingers stroked slowly down the sides of her body, she enjoyed the sensations of her breasts pressing into his chest and his manhood pressing against her pubic bone. His body fit hers like a glove.

As she explored one of his ears with her tongue, he shivered, then whispered, “Kathryn, I’ve wanted to touch you like this for so long.”

“As I’ve wanted to touch you.”

She felt one hand sliding up under her bikini top while the other tugged her bikini bottom down. After years of longing, their moment had finally come. Finally. Kathryn slowed her breathing and resolved to savor every moment. For a while, time stood still.

All of a sudden, the holographic characters around them shouted hysterically and ran toward the city. Kathryn and Chakotay looked up and saw an enormous tidal wave surging toward them.

Kathryn jumped up, pulling Chakotay with her, and yelled above the din, “Computer, end program!” Nothing happened.

Chakotay called out, “Computer, exit!” It thankfully obliged. They ran out into the corridor, but not before the tidal wave drenched them and much of the carpeting outside the Holodeck entrance. Kathryn illuminated a wall console and activated an internal communications channel.

“B’Elanna, Commander Chakotay and were just in Holodeck One, and to say it’s malfunctioning would be a huge understatement.”

“My apologies, Captain, there was an unexpected power surge after we realigned the warp nacelles just now. It’s affecting systems all over the ship. We’re on it.”

“We’re heading to the Bridge. I want a full status report in ten minutes.”

“Aye, Captain. Torres out.”

Kathryn looked apologetically at Chakotay. “After all the planning you did...”

Chakotay smiled, his face a mixture of resignation and amusement. “Ipanema will always be here for us.” He sighed. “I guess we’ll have to make our way back to our quarters for fresh uniforms.”

Kathryn frowned. “This is going to be embarrassing.”

“Why? You’re beautiful and in incredible shape. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Kathryn blushed. “I meant that if anyone sees us the whole crew will be gossiping about our private “experiment” in no time.”

Chakotay put his arm around her shoulder. “Kathryn, they’ve been gossiping about us for the last seven years. Seeing us in beachwear off-duty is not going to change anything.”

She relaxed a bit, and as they began walking toward the turbolift, she wrapped her arm around his waist. “I suppose you’re right. Maybe someone will be the lucky winner of that bet today.”

But no one saw them enter the turbolift holding hands. No one saw them making out as the turbolift doors opened on Deck Three. When they arrived on the Bridge, however, everyone noticed that both the Captain and Commander had wet hair. Yet no one could come up with an evidence-based explanation worthy of overturning the PCR betting pool.


	6. Chapter 6

It’d been a hectic few days, recovering from the power surge. Kathryn had spent most of that time in Engineering, helping B’Elanna run diagnostics on the ship’s systems, while Chakotay coordinated repair teams from the Bridge. They hadn’t once had a moment alone together and the sexual tension between them was becoming unbearable. She briefly wondered if the crew had noticed, but remembering their tired, worn faces as they hurried about their duties, she dismissed the possibility.

Once again, it was time for the command team’s weekly dinner, and Kathryn was rushing around her quarters. She’d instructed Tuvok that they should receive no interruptions, barring a Level 10 emergency. His eyebrow rose to new heights, but he merely nodded and left the Ready Room without another word.

She’d replicated an assortment of canapés and a simple salad. They both knew that the meal was not the focus of tonight’s “dinner.” Kathryn checked her hair and makeup one more time in the mirror and gave an approving nod at her reflection. She hoped her red, low-cut mini-dress, matching heels, and sparkly earrings weren’t over the top – he’d seen her at her worst, after all – then decided that their budding romance deserved an aura of celebration. _Have I ever felt so thrilled and nervous at once?_

Her door chimed, and she opened it to discover Chakotay in form-fitting dark brown pants and a chic button-down shirt that hugged all his muscles in all the right places. Kathryn suppressed a smirk as she realized they were both wearing clothes that would be easy to take off, then smiled as he handed her a bottle of real champagne. She brought two flutes to the coffee table and sat down as he filled them.

“To our experiment’s long-term success,” he offered as a toast.

“I’ll drink to that.”

“Dr. Kathryn, it’s been a week since we began our experiment. What data have you collected and does it compel you to modify your existing hypothesis?”

She smiled slowly. “First of all, I must observe that I’ve never enjoyed collecting data this much. However, I haven’t quite been able to collect any full data sets. I’m beginning to question whether we’ve established the right conditions for running this experiment, but it’s too soon to tell.” She sipped her champagne slowly. “What’s your analysis, Dr. Chakotay?”

He smiled back. “As far as I can tell, the subjects are still sacrificing their personal relationship for the well-being of the ship. Further observation is warranted, but a consistent pattern of interruptions may indicate the need for new protocols.”

“What new protocols did you have in mind?”

“It’s too early to say, but it’s clear that conditions for data collection are best when the subjects are left undisturbed for indefinite periods of time.”

“Are you suggesting that we seize the moment?”

“I am.”

He set their champagne flutes down on the coffee table, ran his hand through her hair, and drew her in for a kiss. She felt as though his hands were all over her body at once, pressing her closer to him, cupping her breasts in his hands as his tongue plunged deeper into her mouth, then sliding up her thigh, under her dress, toward her center. He moaned when he realized she had on neither bra nor panties.

Dinner could wait. It was time. Hand in hand, Kathryn led Chakotay to the bedroom. She pulled off his shirt and he kicked off his shoes. _Noted: the man does not wear socks when not on duty._ She pulled off his pants and barest of briefs, and almost gasped to see his desire springing forth toward her.

He pulled her dress over her head and stood back to enjoy the vision of her. He took his time, then spoke quietly. “You’re so beautiful.”

She couldn’t help blushing as she replied, “You speak of yourself.”

Chakotay lowered them both to the bed, and Kathryn was pleased to let him take charge, for now. He stroked her breasts delicately, as if he were handling a rare work of art, and just when she couldn’t take it anymore, he descended his mouth to a nipple, licking lightly at first, then sucking and nipping with his teeth. One hand lightly pinched the other nipple while the fingers of the other slid up her thigh to explore between her folds.

Meanwhile, she took his smooth, full, pulsating length in her hand, admiring the feel of him – somewhere between silk and velvet – against her fingers and palm. He sighed with pleasure as she stroked him.

Kathryn became aware of Chakotay’s thumb on her clit and two fingers inside her, coated with her wetness. He was close to bringing her to climax, but she wanted him inside her. She moved his hand away and positioned him at her entrance –

And the comm activated.

“Seven of Nine to Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay. A tricobalt bomb has decloaked on board the Delta Flyer. We are attempting to deactivate it now.”

“Noooooo!!!!” Kathryn groaned into Chakotay’s chest, even as she turned to find her nearest uniform and indicated to Chakotay that he should replicate one for himself. As he made his way to her replicator, head hanging even as he reluctantly willed his excitement away, he couldn’t help chuckling at the ship’s latest intrusion into the their nascent love life. Kathryn hit the comm button on her bedside table. “I’m sending the Commander to the shuttlebay now. He disarmed several tricobalt bombs in the Maquis. I’ll be on the Bridge. Janeway out.” Chakotay was already out the door.

Ten minutes later, Kathryn entered the shuttlebay. Chakotay had successfully disarmed the bomb and he and Seven were analyzing its components. Tom, pale as a ghost, was going over every millimeter of the Flyer with his bare hands. Tuvok followed close behind him, a tricorder in hand. Various crewmembers stood around the now dismantled bomb, variously consulting tricorders, PADDS, and one another.

Seven stepped forward and handed Kathryn a PADD. “We believe the bomb was planted at about the time we entered the race several weeks ago.”

“How could this bomb have been here all this time and we only detected it now?” Kathryn made no effort to conceal her fury, though only Chakotay knew there was more than one reason for it.

“The cloak's timer was set on a delay meant to activate during the race. We don’t yet know why the bomb didn’t go off during the race nor why it was activated now.”

Kathryn finished scanning the PADD, handed it back to Seven, and turned her attention back to her crew. “Seven, continue your analysis of the bomb. Tom, when you’re finished examining the Flyer, search the remaining shuttles.” Kathryn raised her voice to address everyone in the shuttlebay. “I want this ship searched, stem to stern, for any additional cloaked bombs. Commander, work with Tuvok to organize search parties and parameters. I’ll assemble a team to review security footage before, during, and after the race.” Her commands were met with stern nods and “Ayes” all around.

Before turning to leave, Kathryn made eye contact with Chakotay, lingering a moment longer than usual. He could read her disappointment and sense of hopelessness. She could tell his eyes were imploring her not to give up on them.

Chakotay and Tuvok left shortly afterward with their search parties. Seven approached Tom and stated matter-of-factly, “Lieutenant Paris, when the Captain arrived, both she and the Commander’s faces became flushed, their pupils dilated, and their heart rates elevated. I believe this is evidence of a UPCR.”

“Seven, there was a bomb on the ship! That’s evidence of nothing but well-justified shock and fear.” Tom let out an exasperated sigh. “What is with this crew? I promise you, when we finally get a PCR, and we will, it will be undeniably clear.”

Seven raised an eyebrow in disbelief, but silently returned to her analysis.

*

Several hours later, Chakotay entered the Ready Room with a status report in hand.

“No alien explosive devices detected anywhere else on board, Captain–”

She whirled him around, onto the desk, leapt on him, and immediately began tearing his uniform off.

“That’s good news,” she murmured into his neck.

“Kathryn – ”

“We need to finish what we started – now! Computer, lock Ready Room doors.”

*

Sometime later, their clothes strewn over the desk, the floor, and the coffee table, Kathryn and Chakotay lay on the couch, panting, grinning happy, drunk-on-love grins at each other.

Kathryn exhaled, sat up, and faced Chakotay with a frighteningly serious expression.

“Commander, we can never do this again.”

“What? Do you mean I can’t make love to you on this couch ever again?”

“That’s not all.”

“You mean you will never again throw me against the wall and suck me until I think my eyeballs are going to pop out?”

“Not only that.”

“No, no, are you saying I can never again push you up against the desk and put my mouth on you until you come twice?”

“None of it. We can never do any of it ever again.”

Chakotay’s face crumbled. “Kathryn, you can’t possibly mean that.”

“In the Ready Room, I mean,” she deadpanned.

He looked slightly disappointed, but then understanding dawned on him. “Oh. Okay.”

“We’re definitely doing all of this again. In my quarters. Or your quarters. Preferably later today. And as often as possible after that.”

In response, he kissed her deeply.

They got dressed and she served them both coffee.

“Dr. Chakotay, I acquired some fascinating data sets in the last few hours.”

“Is that so, Dr. Kathryn?”

“Yes, and the most important takeaway is that I didn’t hesitate to send you into a life-or-death situation.”

“You certainly didn’t.”

“I always thought it would be an impossible decision. Then when it came down to it, my training and experience kicked in automatically and I gave the order, almost without having to think about it. I was terrified something would happen to you, but I’ve always been terrified something will happen to you in situations like these. I’ve had these feelings for you for so long and until now I was convinced that holding myself back from you was the only thing that was keeping me from making a huge mistake. Now I realize I’ve been making a mistake this whole time, keeping us apart.” She looked at him with sorrowful eyes. “Were you angry at me?”

“For holding back all these years or for sending me to deactivate the bomb?”

“For either. Or both.”

“Not at all. I immediately knew I had to deactivate the bomb. If our positions were reversed I would have given you the same order. I would have felt terrified, too, but it would’ve been the right call and the best chance for everyone’s survival. And as for all the time that’s passed, well, like I said, it’s not easy to let go of old habits. I’m happy we’re finding a way to let go of this one together.”

She smiled and he took a hold of her hand.

“Kathryn, I need to tell you something important.”

“Go ahead.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

He kissed her tenderly, then more deeply, and she stopped him with a gentle hand on his chest. “Save it for tonight.”

“Yes, ma’am.”


	7. Chapter 7

Six months later, Kathryn and Chakotay’s romantic relationship was going strong. They’d enjoyed keeping it to themselves, but were thinking it might be time to let the crew know and contemplating just how to do it.

Chakotay walked into her quarters with a bottle of wine, which he placed in the center of her lavishly laid candlelit table. They’d finally calmed down enough to have their weekly dinner first before ripping off their clothes.

Kathryn greeted him with a swift kiss and a large PADD. “I broke through the encryption codes!”

“How did you do that without Seven noticing you’d broken in?”

“I used a covert Borg decryption algorithm that Lieutenant Barclay sent over in the last data stream to piggyback on Naomi’s account.”

“Kathryn, that’s a violation of data privacy!”

“Ah, but Naomi is a minor, and as the Captain responsible for her safety, it’s within my purview to examine her accounts for suspicious activity.”

“You talk a good game, Janeway,” he mock-disapproved.

She ignored him. “Some of the bets include addenda detailing specific conditions for the ‘Public Confirmation of the Relationship.’ Whoever gets the conditions right doubles their winnings!” 

“Seriously?”

“B’Elanna believes one day one of us is going to oversleep in the other’s quarters.” 

Chakotay’s eyebrows shot up. “She would probably put her hand through a bulkhead if she knew about the secret door between our living areas!”

“Naomi thinks we’re going to be discovered kissing on the beach on shore leave!”

He smiled wistfully. “That is a likely scenario.”

“Harry thinks we’re going to announce our relationship to the crew over the shipwide com system.”

Chakotay buried his face in his hands. “No! He ought to know us better than that by now.” 

Kathryn put down the PADD and placed her hands on her hips, command-style. “Now that we know what they’ve bet, we can’t let any of these scenarios, intentional or unintentional, happen. It would be like favoring one crewmember. Even if we decide to let it happen intentionally or unintentionally, half the crew will be lording it over the other half for years to come.”

“Are you saying that we have to continue to keep the relationship clandestine? How much do you want to bet we’ll be able to pull it off?”

Kathryn smirked and pulled him into her arms.


	8. Epilogue

Five years later, about twelve years into their Delta Quadrant journey, the Voyagers encountered a wormhole that led to Federation territory in the Alpha Quadrant. After progressively testing the wormhole’s stability with probes and shuttlecraft, Voyager flew through triumphantly. A caravan of starships escorted them back to Earth where they were met with celebrations, relatively painless debriefings, and finally, promotions and new assignments for all who desired them.

On the first day of their extended shore leave, the crew gathered in the Main Shuttlebay to disembark. Kathryn thanked everyone for their service in a speech so rousing there was not a dry eye in sight. She turned to Chakotay. Enough was enough.

“Everyone, Commander Chakotay and I have an announcement. We’re engaged to be married and you’re all invited to our wedding!”

The crew erupted in shouts and whistles, and took turns offering their commanding officers their congratulations.

At the same time, Tuvok was doing his very best not to appear perturbed by the multiple crew members slapping his back and shaking his hand.

Noting the crew’s divided attention, Kathryn turned to Chakotay to say, “Looks like Tuvok won the betting pool.” Chakotay laughed.

Harry shook his head. “Tuvok called it in Year One, and never changed his bet: a formal announcement on our first day of shore leave in the Alpha Quadrant.”

Tuvok observed, “It was the logical outcome of your partnership.” Chakotay chuckled and Kathryn embraced her old friend.

Seven queried Kathryn, “How did you deduce the existence of the betting pool?”

Kathryn’s face lit up in a half-smile. “The good thing about being Captain is that there are some questions you don’t have to answer.” The crew groaned in unison.

Chakotay remarked, “Since replicator rationing ended the second we arrived in the Alpha Quadrant, we thought the pool had evaporated.”

Tom replied, “We changed the terms. Now, everyone has to bring Tuvok a real – not replicated – bottle of the finest spirits from their home world at every Voyager reunion for the next twenty years.”

“Do Vulcans even drink alcoholic beverages?” Chakotay asked.

B’Elanna rolled her eyes. “This one does now.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story was obliquely inspired by Jemima’s wonderful [“The Bottle of Bajoran Blue Wine: A PADD Story.”](http://www.ficml.org/jemimap/voy/med/bluewine.html)


End file.
